Melbourne, Australia – Nissan Motor Company Australia was the headline act when the fabled Gibson Motorsport team reunited to mark 30 years since back-to-back victories at the Bathurst 1000 and three-straight Australian Touring Car Championship titles.
During the late 1980s and early 90s Gibson Motorsport was charged with running the Nissan Motorsports program in Australian Touring Car competition and the Bathurst 1000. During a time of change in the automotive industry, Nissan’s on-track success provided invaluable brand exposure and engaged customers, dealers and employees.
Gibson Motorsport was a genuine factory team, located just a few hundred meters from Nissan’s then head office in Dandenong South, Victoria and worked in partnership with NISMO, the company’s Japan-based motorsport subsidiary. Over 200 former employees and close associates joined Fred and Christine Gibson, and a selection of the cars in a memory-filled evening at Shannons in Melbourne. The entire period was covered with the Group C Bluebird and EXA, through to the Group A era of Skyline RS DR30 and HR31 GTS-R, plus the all-conquering R32 GT-R.
Through Gibson Motorsport, Nissan won Australian Touring Car Championship titles in 1990 (Skyline HR31 and R32 GT-R) and ’91 (R32 GT-R) with Jim Richards and ’92 (R32 GT-R) with Mark Skaife Those triumphs were backed-up with victories at the Bathurst 1000 with Richards and Skaife sharing the driving duties in the R32 GT-R in 1991 and ‘92.
Along the journey, there was numerous race victories and podiums for the likes of George Fury, Glenn Seton, Garry Scott and Fred Gibson himself.
After running his motor sports activities in Sydney since the 1960s, Gibson moved his family to Melbourne to head the Nissan Motorsport program fulltime in 1986. The operation quickly gained a reputation as a true professional outfit on the track, at the workshop and everything in-between.
Gibson always had an eye on the future and gave an opportunity to two young drivers in Glenn Seton and Mark Skaife to join the team and grow. Both went on to forge legendary status.
Great drivers were backed-up by clever and hardworking people in the factory who were able to carry the Gibson Motorsport ethic to further their careers in motor sports, the automotive industry and other leading industries.
The arrival of Touring Car legend Jim Richards to the team in 1989 was the beginning of the most successful period for Gibson Motorsport. The toughness of both the competition and the Australian circuits was the perfect environment to develop the turbo-charged all-wheel drive R32 GT-R into what became known as ‘Godzilla’ as Nissan crushed the opposition through to a change in regulations at the conclusion of the 1992 season.
The Nissan GT-R was incredibly complex and is regarded as the best Group A racer the world saw. And the Gibson Motorsport GT-R developed for Nissan Australia were the best - the best of the best in fact.
QUOTES
FRED GIBSON – Team Principal Gibson Motorsport
“It was a team and a team effort. No one stands out and we're all as equal. All going to do our job and do our job well. And I think that bonded together very well and the team was very successful.”
MARK SKAIFE – Former Gibson Motorsport Driver
“The famous nature of what those cars mean to Australian motorsport, but especially to our group, is extraordinary. And for Fred in particular, the cars are a very special part of the history of this sport, especially Nissan's involvement in the game.”
JIM RICHARDS - Former Gibson Motorsport Driver
“You had guys who could do every job you needed to do. Fred and the boys reengineered the GT-R to become ‘Australianised’ you might say. So it was a lot stronger and probably a quicker car than what the Japanese had.”
ALAN HEAPHY - Former Team Manager Gibson Motorsport
“In terms of performance Fred was prepared to throw at it whatever he could get to achieve that financially and time. By far he was the leading person as far as the level of competitiveness. But the level of standard went as far as presenting a race team that reflects back into the people as well.”
Leon Daphne – Former Managing Director Nissan Motor Company (Australia)
“So the fact that the GTRs were run so professionally by Fred through the Touring Car rounds all around Australia and then the big Bathurst wins were really a lift of the company overall.”
# # #
Contacts:
Karla Leach
Director – Corporate Communications
Nissan Motor Co. Australia
Email: karla_leach@nissan.com.au
Mobile: 0429 334 832
Emily Fadeyev
Senior Manager – Corporate Communications
Nissan Motor Co. Australia
Email: emily_fadeyev@nissan.com.au
Mobile: 0407 820 192
